Whale, Tahiti Tourisme © Grégory Lecoeur (2)

Unforgettable emotions

Whale season

Meet up with the giants

Discover the best of whale watching with our passionate tour operators. Marvel at the majesty of the whales on unforgettable excursions.

Iotua

" A very big fish in a big pond. The average humpback whale weighs 30 tonnes and is 15 meters long! "

Whale ballet

Each year, between July and November, humpback whales visit the warm waters of Polynesia to mate and give birth. (Females which mate this year will return next year to give birth.) It is a unique opportunity to observe and admire them. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can even spot them from the beach, but the best way to see them is to take a whale-watching excursion. Your captain will locate the position of the whales by looking for their spout and from time to time, you’ll see them bursting out of the water, often with a calf at their side. A truly impressive spectacle! If conditions permit, and the captain gives his go-ahead, you can even drop into the sea with a tuba and mask to observe their underwater ballet.

The best place to admire and swim with the whales is Rurutu in the Austral Islands, 600 kilometers from Tahiti. Known as “whale island” it is a kind of nursery where these huge mammals feel safe to raise their newborn calves. You can watch them from up on the cliffs, but there’s no greater thrill than getting in the water and swimming with them.